Unraveling the Monochrome
by MidnightSinXOXOXO
Summary: Kaneki couldn't figure her out – the enigma known as Amelia Walker. She's perfect in every single way, but just as equally flawed. "Death cannot have me, but life does not want me," she'd told him. Ghoul or human, it doesn't matter. If the world is just black and white, she is the gray in between. Fem! Allen - Pairings Inside
1. Chapter 1

**Manga:** Tokyo Ghoul / D. Gray-Man

**Original Creator:** Ishida Sui / Katsura Hoshino

**Author:** Midnight

**Warnings: **Fem! Allen "Amelia Walker" - Rated T - Dark Themes - Crossover

**Summary:** Kaneki couldn't figure her out – the enigma known as Amelia Walker. She's perfect in every single way, but just as equally flawed. "Death cannot have me, but life does not want me," she'd told him. Ghoul or human, it doesn't matter. If the world is just black and white, she is the gray in between.

**Pairings:** Amelia/Uta, Amelia/Kaneki, Amelia/Rize, One-sided Amelia/Tsukiyama

**Author's Note: **I'm addicted to Tokyo Ghoul. I'm addicted to D. Gray-Man. My addictions are killing me.

Also, I know that grades are separated differently in Japan than in the U.S. Please bear with it and pretend that there are four years of high school.

This chapter is just a little preview of what these three characters currently think of/remember of Amelia. The next chapter will really be the start of the story.

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***Please read and review!***

"_**UNRAVELING THE MONOCHROME"**_

1: THE FORGOTTEN, THE SNAKE, AND THE ENIGMA

* * *

|KEN KANEKI|

Amelia Walker, he later found out, was her name. He'd first noticed her during his freshman year of high school. A transfer student from America, his teacher had told the class. She was put in the seat at his left, directly next to the window in the very back corner of the classroom.

The first thing he noticed about her was her hair. It was whiter than newly fallen snow, which made him think she dyed it in America. It was cut to a bob cut, with the front locks barely reaching her shoulders and the back strands covering the top half of her neck. Her bangs were cut to medium length and styled to the right, draping over her forehead and face like a soft curtain. Her creamy pale complexion suited her luscious pink lips and stormy gray eyes, or rather _eye. _Her bangs covered almost the entire left side of her face, and Kaneki had to wonder how she could see with only one eye. She was taller than Kaneki and a lot of girls at the time, standing at about 5'8". She was easily one of the tallest in their age group.

In all honesty, Kaneki ignored her throughout their four years in high school, as did the rest of the student and teacher population. His reason for doing so was his lack of interest in her, despite always being in the same class and sitting next to one another each time. Others, he had no clue. All he remembered about her was how she was involved in an incident in her first week of school. There were many witnesses, but no one ever talked about it. Kaneki guessed it was why everyone was afraid of her and never thought anything of it.

When Kaneki went to college, he completely forgot about Amelia.

* * *

|TOUKA KIRISHIMA|

Amelia was like a snake: cunning, resourceful, sly, untamable, and _deadly._ She saved Touka's life once, and once was enough for her to remember Amelia for the rest of her life.

She didn't smell like a ghoul, nor did she act like one. She wasn't exactly human either. She was heartless, yet kind; rational, but still emotional. Innocent, yet experienced.

Touka would never forget that day – the day she first met her. Touka was about to take her last, dying breath as a Ghoul Investigator grinner maniacally above her, ready to shove his Quinque into her skull. Everything else was a blur, and Touka was glad she didn't remember much about it. Rain blurred her vision, but the sounds of screaming, ripping, and flesh splitting apart were palpable. The rain didn't lighten at all, but as she blinked away the haziness in her head, she glanced at the destruction around her.

Amidst the organs and limbs of ghouls and Ghoul Investigators alike stood one lone figure. Rain poured from the sky in excess, mixing with the blood and draining into god-knows-where. Both girls stared silently at one another, one kneeling on the ground, glaring at her weakness, and the other staring down at the other. Touka was covered in bruises and cuts or all forms, while the other was barely injured.

Blood covered almost her entire body, even her light hair. Not even the rain could wipe away the evidence of death on her body. Despite this, she offered a clean hand to Touka.

"_Let's get out of here,"_ Amelia said.

Despite being a complete stranger, Touka had never been so glad to say yes.

* * *

|RIZE KAMISHIRO|

She was truly an enigma – a spot of gray in the forever black and white world they live in, reality.

Rize stared at her longingly. She was beautiful in every single way, from the way her hair flowed in the breeze to her gentle nature.

She wasn't human, but she wasn't a ghoul. She wasn't kind, yet she wasn't cruel. What was she? Rize didn't know, but she wanted to find out.

They'd been acquaintances for a few years now, and Amelia was still as mysterious as ever. In those years, nothing about her had been revealed. Not even her age.

The only thing Rize knew about her was her name, their terms of acquaintanceship, and what she wishes to accomplish.

Being with Amelia makes her not crave flesh. She makes her feel human, not the monster she believes herself to be. Amelia surely doesn't feel the same way, but maybe, just maybe…

Rize wants her. Not her flesh, blood, or tears, but _her._ She doesn't know why, but she realizes that she desires Amelia for the same reason she overly eats: for unexplainable joy. And whatever she wants, she always gets.


	2. Chapter 2

**Manga:** Tokyo Ghoul / D. Gray-Man

**Original Creator:** Ishida Sui / Katsura Hoshino

**Author:** Midnight

**Warnings: **Fem! Allen "Amelia Walker" - Rated T - Dark Themes - Crossover

**Summary:** Kaneki couldn't figure her out – the enigma known as Amelia Walker. She's perfect in every single way, but just as equally flawed. "Death cannot have me, but life does not want me," she'd told him. Ghoul or human, it doesn't matter. If the world is just black and white, she is the gray in between.

**Pairings:** Amelia/Uta, Amelia/Kaneki, Amelia/Rize, Amelia/Neah, One-sided Amelia/Tsukiyama (?), Amelia/Touka (?), (Amelia/Tyki, Amelia/Road, Amelia/Kanda, Amelia/Lavi)

**Author's Note: **Here's the first _real _chapter of the story. I'm thinking about changing the name since like I'm kind of…about the…yeah. Should I? Tell me if I should or shouldn't. I'll decide whether to change it or not by the third or fourth chapter.

By the way, should I do first-person narrative but change the narrator throughout the chapters or third-person narrator like this? Please tell me in your reviews, it's essential to my happiness and sanity. For now I'll keep doing third-person. And don't give me shit about "do whatever makes you happy/comfortable" because I want to know how _you_ would like it. Honestly I could have it either way, but I want you readers to have the most comfort while reading my crappy story.

Also, make sure to read the warnings and pairings. Depending on my mood, I change them from time to time. Especially the pairings. I'll also be changing people's heights as well, because this shit doesn't make sense. I know Asian-standards in height is different from America-standards (being Asian myself) but seriously. I know some people can be short and all, but I can't stand it. I don't know why, so don't bother me when I change heights.

***Please read and review!***

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"_**UNRAVELING THE MONOCHROME"**_

2: TRAGEDY

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|KANEKI KEN|

As the news reporter babbled on about a new killing related to a ghoul murder, Kaneki watched with little interest. He zoned out the reporter's voice and thought about hit book. In front of him, Hide rest his chin in his hand and viewed the television program with slight amusement.

"Heh, that's a sketchy-looking old guy," Hide stated in boredom. "That's pretty scary. The Takada building's pretty close to here."

When Kaneki didn't respond, Hide turned around and continued, "You'd be eaten in a second, Kaneki. A scrawny kid like you who's always reading incomprehensible books would stand no chance."

Kaneki shot him a confused, betrayed look, replying, "Wh-what do you mean _incomprehensible_?"

He wasn't offended at the insult to his strength. He already knew he was weak. _No_, he was offended that Hide had the nerve to comment about reading and books when he himself had never liked literature.

"Hide, if you would just pick up a book you might get it," he continued.

Hide lightly rested his head on the table with a bored look, replying, "It's no use, I'd fall asleep after five seconds."

Kaneki shrugged and picked up his coffee cup. He took a soft sip and gulped it down, mentally frowning at the heat. Thinking back, what was that reporter talking about again? Ah, Ghouls.

"Anyways," Kaneki began. "I was just thinking… I've never once seen a "ghoul". Do they really exist? Monsters that eat people… It seems kind of fishy."

"They must," Hide muttered. "I've heard they disguise themselves as humans and lie in wait. When the moment's right, they're suddenly there and things like that."

Kaneki mused, "Disguised as humans, huh…"

Hide grinned, his head shooting off the table, and joked, "Kaneki, maybe _you're_ a ghoul!"

The raven-haired boy sighed at his friend's idiocy and doodled on a sheet of paper. "You're an idiot, Hide. If I were a ghoul, I think you would be very dead right now. And you say _disguised as_, but couldn't they just be _monsters in the shape of man_?"

Kaneki lifted the paper up, revealing a scribbled monster-like animal with nothing resembling a human, but Hide replied, "I did one too!"

He lifted his paper up, showing a poorly drawn human with no proportional features and quite terrible shading. Kaneki groaned at Hide's humor and drawing capabilities but nonetheless smiled.

After throwing away their doodles, Hide tapped on his cup and said, "You know, Kaneki, let's talk about something besides ghouls."

Kaneki gave his friend a confused, worried look. Hide sounded kind of serious. Was he scared or something? Maybe it was a sensitive topic…

"For example, which one's the cute coffee shop girl you were telling me about?" Hide joked in a very loud voice.

If this were an anime, Kaneki would have face-vaulted at that. He tried shushing his friend, but Hide still very obviously looked around and stared at the employees.

Hide stopped, pointing at a girl with his thumb. "Is it her?"

Kaneki turned and saw a girl with blue hair with a slight purple hue. Her hair was cut short to above her neck, and the right side of her face was covered by her bangs. Her eyes were the same soft color as her hair, and her complexion was pale yet slightly tanned. From his view, she could probably be several inches shorter than him. She was very small and petite and looked extremely fragile.

She was a waitress at the café, signified by her uniform and a small notepad she held in her hands. Kaneki blushed when she made eye contact with him for a split-second.

"No, she isn't the one. It was another waitress here that I don't see. She's probably off today."

It was a girl who he'd crashed into on his way to one of the tables a few months ago at this very café. She was another waitress with fair skin and beautiful hair he'd never forget. She'd never taken his order, though. Well, she'd probably never taken _anyone's_ order unless they were specific people who visited the shop on a daily basis. Still Kaneki went to that café every day ever since, but that waitress had an on-and-off schedule. Some days she was here, others she spent being the customer herself. It wasn't a pattern but rather an unusual on-a-whim thing.

She's been missing for about a week and a half, if Kaneki could remember correctly. The last time she was here she came as a customer. Then poof, she was gone. Still, Kaneki stuck around in hopes of meeting her again.

Kaneki studied the blue-haired employee. _Although she's definitely cute, too,_ Kaneki thought.

Before his mind registered it, Hide shot up with his hand waving in the air, shouting, "Excuse me?"

Kaneki looked at his friend in embarrassment and wanted to hit him on the head.

The waitress came to their table and asked quietly, "Yes?"

"Can I order?" Hide asked. He didn't wait for an answer, and instead continued, "I'll have a cappuccino. What about you?"

"I-I'm fine. I still haven't finished…" he said nervously.

"One cappuccino," Kaneki heard the girl mutter as she scribbled down the order on her notepad.

Then Hide asked "What might your name be?"

"Kirishima Touka," she answered suspiciously.

"Kirishima-san, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked excitingly, grabbing her hands and giving a shit-eating grin.

Touka backed away slightly, shooting him fearful eyes. "I, uh, well… I…I don't know!"

After Touka ran away, frightened like a scared animal, Kaneki scolded, "Hide, why you – stop that, you idiot!"

Despite this, Hide just stared off at the girl's silhouette like a pervert. "How lovely…"

Kaneki looked around to see if anyone was watching. Then he turned to his friend and slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't do weird things! This shop is the only connection I have to that girl! What'll I do if I get banned…?"

His voice trailed off as the door opened and the small bell at the top jingled. The door swung open gently as a woman walked in with a smile on her face. She was beautiful like a flower and elegantly dressed in a white dress with blue sleeves. She was slender and tall, but not overly. Her long purple hair flowed behind her like a waterfall. She wore red-rimmed glasses that suited her face and pale skin color. Her lips were perfectly pink and her eyes matched her hair color. She was curvy held an, in Hide's words, _enchanting_ aura; an ideal woman, at least to Hide-standards.

Kaneki vaguely realized he was staring and heard Hide say in the background, "All right, I'm sorry! She was just so cute, I couldn't help it!"

Kaneki thought at the back of his mind, _she's quite pretty…_ He turned away and continued to stare off into the distance. She wasn't the person he was looking for, so it didn't matter what she did.

A few seconds passed, yet that woman had yet to leave the doorway. His attention was brought back to her when he heard a quiet _"Give me a moment"._ His gaze struck the doorway again, and he watches as she held the door wide open for another woman to step in. Kaneki felt his cheeks heat up and he instantly looked away. Despite this, his eyes still crawled upwards to take in her appearance.

Soft, creamy pale skin accompanied snow-white tresses. She wore a black form-fitting v-neck t-shirt and white skinny jeans. Some of her cleavage was showing through the cut of her shirt, and her curvaceous figure was highly accentuated by the tightness of her outfit. She was definitely tall; about 5'8" probably, around Kaneki's height. Her long, thin legs were complimented by black flats with slight heels. Her eyes were stormy gray, and her lips were lusciously pink and plump. Her mid-back length hair was tied into a ponytail by a silver ribbon which flowed past her like a cascading waterfall. Her bangs swept across her forehead to the right and locks of shoulder-length to chin-length hair framed her face perfectly. Around her shoulder was a one-strapped stylish brown leather bag that reached her waist.

If Kaneki had to compare the two women, it was obvious to him which one was better. If the purple-haired woman was a daisy, then the other would be a beautiful cherry blossom in the midst of spring.

He heard Hide ask, "What is it, Kaneki?"

Kaneki looked away, embarrassed, and quietly pointed towards the doorway. With his head down, he said, "Look, that's her."

Hide took one look at the two women and, slapping his hands on his shoulders, replied, "Kaneki! I don't know which woman you're talking about, but both are out of your league. I'm sorry to say this, but _give up_!"

"What?" Kaneki squeaked indignantly.

"No matter what you do, babes like those are impossible. I bet she'll transform if you take off her glasses," his friend said with a smirk.

Kaneki groaned. "Not her, the other one _without_ the glasses."

Hide took another look, paused, and turned around with even more ferocity. "That's even worse! If that glasses-lady was a ten out of ten, she's a twenty-seven!"

Kaneki groaned again and looked down, depressed. "I… I know. We wouldn't go well together. I'm happy enough just seeing her."

He watched as the two beautiful women found their way to a table. His eyes were solely on the albino-haired woman. The way she walked, talked, smiled, and moved was extremely elegant. Even as she was talking with her friend, she still seemed graceful and gentle. The other woman was just as great, but he wasn't as interested in her.

From the distance, he vaguely heard his object of attention say, _"Shall we continue where our last conversation ended?"_

"Besides," he continued. "When she…when she meets my eyes, she smiles a little."

True to his word, the white-haired woman met gazes with Kaneki as she paused her sentence. It lasted for a few seconds, but those seconds felt like an eternity to him. She smiled gently before gently looking away and continuing her conversation. Kaneki felt his cheeks heat up even more.

"Maybe if she shares my feelings…" he quietly said under his breath.

He felt Hide's gaze on him for a few silent moments. "You're kind of being creepy… So you're _that _type of guy, huh."

Again, if this were an anime, Kaneki would have face-vaulted several times.

"She's giving you a forced smile because you're staring at her suspiciously," Hide said with a laugh. He suddenly stopped with a look of realization on his face. Turning around, he stared at the two women again with calculating eyes. It took a few seconds for Kaneki to realize his best friend wasn't checking out his crush.

"What?" Kaneki asked.

"Isn't that… Isn't that Amelia Walker from our high school?"

"…Who?"

Hide spun around and pulled Kaneki close, whispering in his ear, "You know, that one transfer student from America back in freshman year? She sat next to you every year, remember?"

Kaneki nodded hesitantly. "I vaguely remember her. We didn't really talk at all, though. I never saw her talking to anyone else, either."

"Wow," Hide said. "I used to be online friends with her until college. We met through our clubs. We'd chat on skype and such throughout high school, but she moved after high school and I never got back in touch with her."

Then it hit him. "Wasn't she involved in an incident at school?"

Hide nodded and a frown. "Some seniors were hitting on her at the school gates after school. I don't really know the details, but I heard she beat the crap out of them."

Kaneki gulped. _Oh my God,_ he thought. If this was his crush, then she'd probably literally _crush _him if she found out he was being a creep like Hide said.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Hide stood up and stretched. "Well, I got to see the girl you were talking about. I have to go back to work, though. Good luck, you delusional boy! See you later, Kirishima-san!"

_That guy…_ Kaneki groaned with a headache. After Hide exited the building, he was left all alone. _I'll keep reading then…_

Barely seconds passed by before he was distracted again. Burying his face in his book, his mind wandered back to his crush – Amelia, apparently.

Kaneki peeked at her from above his book. Whilst the other woman had gone off somewhere, Amelia sat alone, reading a book just like him. _She's obviously gorgeous, but there's another reason I'm attracted to her. She's reading the work of one of my most beloved authors, Takatsuki Sen. By chance, she also happens to be reading the same title as I am, "The Black Goat's Egg"._

"The Black Goat's Egg" was a story about a son who's disgusted by his mother's depravity. The main character begins to realize that the same cruel impulses are budding in himself. Following that are extremely brutal descriptions that entwine with the delicate portrayal of the character's mental state. Takatsuki Sen's seventh work was truly a masterpiece.

It was like a train had hit him. Twice. Before he knew it, she was walking in his direction with her coffee cup and book in hand. In his nervous wreck, he knocked his book against her arm, dropping it to the ground. He inwardly winced in embarrassment.

"S-sorry," he panicked. "I'm sorry!"

Amelia bent down to the book up and paused when her fingers brushed against the edge of the spine.

"Oh?" she mused. She stood up and smiled, handing the book back to him. "This is interesting. I was just reading that too. Do you like Takatsuki Sen?"

Kaneki was dumbfounded. She was actually talking to him. His several month crush was _actually _talking to him! There was an awkward moment of silence between the two until he realized it wasn't a dream.

"Yes! I absolutely love Takatsuki Sen!" He cursed himself at the many stutters and over excitement. "I, um, I love mysteries!"

Amelia smiled. "Ah, as do I. Those types of novels are quite good."

_I may have just dropped my book at the best possible time_, Kaneki prided himself.

* * *

|AMELIA WALKER|

She talked with him, Kaneki, quite a while. Maybe an hour, probably. They discussed their views about Takatsuki Sen, other authors, and their favorite books. He seemed really familiar. A high school classmate, maybe?

"Takatsuki Sen is probably my favorite author," Kaneki said.

Amelia nodded. "Yes. His writing style is just pure genius."

There was a moment of silence. Kaneki bit his lip and looked at her with hesitating eyes. Amelia stared back at him with a curious smile.

"Uh… Do you remember high school?" he asked quietly.

Her eyebrows raising, she gazed at his fidgeting body with an amused expression. "I remember we went to the same high school, if that's what you're asking me. If I'm not mistaken, we were in the same class throughout the four years in school."

Before Kaneki could reply, she continued, "I guess I never talked to anyone back then. There were too many…_things _going on at the time. I'll admit I was too antisocial, and if I had gotten to know you, you would have been my best friend."

Kaneki blushed and grinned, replying, "My thoughts exactly. I-"

Just then, her smartphone buzzed. Amelia picked her phone up and said, "My apologies. Excuse me."

She gave Kaneki a smile before standing up and leaving the building. Outside the café, she answered the call with a, "Yes?"

On the other side of the phone, a deep voice said, _"We need your help right now. _He's _becoming unstable again. He needs you right now."_

Biting her lip, she replied, "I'm on my way. Five minutes at most."

Tapping the _end call_ button, she quietly put her phone away and walked back into the café. Making her way over to her table, she smiled at the raven-haired boy.

"I'm sorry, but I must get going now. Something urgent has come up. My apologies. If you'd like, we can continue this conversation tomorrow afternoon."

Kaneki blushed. _Heh, funny kid._

"O-of course, Amelia-san!"

Amelia giggled. Taking a piece of paper out, she wrote her phone number down with a smiley face. "Here's my phone number. Also, you can just call me Amelia. I was raised in England and lived in America for the better part of my life, so I'm not exactly used to honorifics."

Kaneki nodded with a goofy smile, replying, "Okay, A..Amelia. I'll call you later?"

_What a funny kid_, she thought. "Of course. I must get going now, however. Bye, Kaneki."

Turning around and walking away, she heard him say, "See you later, Amelia."

Waving to the raven-haired man, she turned on her heel and walked away. The moment she left the shop, she felt someone grab her wrist.

"Amelia… Who was that?"

Amelia sighed and jerked her wrist back, but to no avail. "_That _was Kaneki Ken. A cute little human boy. Why, Rize?"

Rize squeezed her wrist harder, but it didn't exactly hurt. It wasn't meant to; Rize would _never _hurt her.

"I have a bad feeling about him, Amelia. Please don't go on that date with him," she begged. "I don't want to see you hurt again."

"You always say that. I don't see what the problem is; he's just a human. Plus he's kind of cute," Amelia said. "And he even shares the same interests as me. I'm pretty sure I can handle myself, Rize. Now unhand me."

The ghoul frowned. "But last time… _he-_"

Amelia's breath hitched, and she yanked her hand back with a harsh tug. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she clenched her jaw tightly.

"Don't…Don't you _dare _talk about that."

Spinning on her heel, she swiftly walked away. Or at least tried to. Before she took a few steps, she felt Rize's arms around her waist, hugging her close. She felt Rize rest her chin between the crook of her shoulder and sigh.

"I'm sorry… I just-I really don't want you getting hurt again. I'm not telling you what to do. I'm just asking you to please reconsider that… _boy_," she said sadly.

"Rize," Amelia began. "He's eighteen years old. And I've already decided to go on that date. I'll be careful, I promise, though I doubt I'd have to be."

When Rize didn't respond, Amelia turned around and hugged her tightly. "It's not like I'm going to die or anything, okay? I promise I'll come back after the date."

Giving one last squeeze in the hug, Amelia loosened up and left.

* * *

|KANEKI KEN|

"So Kaneki, what is your number-one recommendation?" Amelia asked as she stabbed at her food with her fork playfully.

Kaneki did the same, replying, "Takatsuki Sen's debut work, maybe?"

She lightly gasped, her eyes gleaming with hidden joy. "Oh, "Dear Kafka", right? I remember reading that with utmost excitement when it first came out. That trick with the letter really got me."

Kaneki swallowed a bite of spaghetti, nodding and listening with intense pleasure. Somehow, however, his gaze slowly wandered from Amelia's lips to her bare collarbones and the slight cleavage left uncovered by her frilly yellow dress.

"Speaking of Takatsuki, his short story collections are really interesting, too. Like "Monochrome Rainbow", it…" she stopped and tilted her head to meet his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh! No-I uh, well… Nothing's wrong!" he stuttered like an idiot. "It's just…"

Trying to think of an excuse as to why he was being, in Hide's words, a _creep_, he spotted Amelia's meal and an idea came to mind.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he continued, "Is that all you're going to eat, Amelia?"

He sighed. _Nice save_, he thought.

Amelia's meal consisted of two measly sandwiches that didn't look like enough to eat even for breakfast. Next to it was a small glass of water. In Kaneki's opinion, this was too little, even if she was trying to diet.

Amelia gave a mysterious smile. "That's for me to know and you to find out, Kaneki."

As he was about to answer, Amelia's cellphone vibrated in her purse. Swallowing whatever he was going to say, he let her check it.

With an apologetic smile, she said, "Please excuse me for a moment."

With that, she left the table and walked out of the restaurant. Kaneki swore her hips were swaying as she walked, as if she knew he was watching her.

_Girls…_ he mentally told himself. _They're such strange creatures…_

When Amelia came back, she had a slightly pissed off expression, as if she was just told someone set her house on fire.

The rest of the date was spent eating and talking about the types of books both of them had read in the past and are currently reading. It was great, Kaneki had to admit. He'd probably only been on two dates in his life, both of which had ended terribly. This one was…nice. It was peaceful and entertaining. It also helped that Amelia shared the same interests and viewpoints as him.

As they left the restaurant with smiles on their faces, Kaneki asked, "Can I walk you home?"

Amelia smiled, replying, "Of course."

Talking about things like blood types and hobbies in the silence of the night, they walked through the dark, empty streets together for a few minutes. Side by side, Kaneki thought, _this was actually really fun!_

"So do you work at Anteiku? I've seen you in a waitress uniform a few times in the past," he asked.

Amelia shook her head. "I'm not working for them. It's more like volunteer work in my opinion. I'm paid with food and coffee, so that's enough for me. Plus I come to visit the other waitress – Touka, I'm sure you know."

Kaneki nodded and stored that information for later. Maybe he could befriend Touka to get closer to Amelia…

"We have a lot in common, Kaneki. Our favorite authors, reading choices, former high schools, ages…" she said with a giggle. "I never thought I'd meet someone so intriguing."

As she finished her sentence, she spun on her heel to face him and gave him a bright smile.

_Somehow... _he thought with a blush, _this feels like a good thing._

A woman about the same height as Amelia walked by her turned back. She had long purple hair and red-rimmed glasses covering her pale skin. If Kaneki wasn't mistaken, it was the same woman from Anteiku that came with his current date. And for a second, their eyes met.

His gentle gaze was returned with a glare so harsh it looked like it could freeze the flames of hell. Her eyes averted and she walked away as if nothing happened.

"Is something wrong?" Amelia asked.

"N-nothing…" he replied nervously. When he looked back, the woman was nowhere in sight. The street was empty except for the two of them, as if she was never there.

A few minutes of walking later, they arrived at Amelia's apartment. It was in the opposite direction of his, but the long walk was worth it. Once she had her keys in his hand, Kaneki finally prepared to depart.

"Thank you for walking me back, Kaneki. I guess I'll call you later?" she asked.

Kaneki grinned and scratched the back of his head, saying, "Of course! See you later, Amelia."

Amelia inserted the key and turned it, unlocking her door. Kaneki turned around and left, vaguely hearing the door opening, closing, and being locked.

* * *

|AMELIA WALKER|

Once she was sure Kaneki was gone, Amelia leaned against the wall and slowly slid down. Deep breaths riddled her body and she shut her eyes in agony.

"Fuck…" she muttered. "This… Shit!"

Clenching her left arm tightly, she cried out from the overwhelming waves of pain, shouting, "Why won't you just cooperate!"

The next few minutes were spent with her panting and cursing before the pain finally subsided. As she leaned against the door in a fetal position with her head in her arms, she heard footsteps and felt someone tap her arm.

"I know you're in pain, but _they _need you right now. It's an emergency," he said.

Amelia took deep, pained breaths, trying to calm herself down. Biting her lip, she slowly pushed herself off the wall and leaned on him.

"Yeah-uh, just… just take me there. The long way, since I need to cool down. I'm not in the mood for bullshit, Neah."

**-LINE BREAK-**

|KANEKI KEN|

As he entered a dark alley, he heard footsteps behind him. Small and quiet, but footsteps nonetheless. Gulping, he spun on his heel and prepared to attack, only to see that woman again.

The familiar purple hair caught him by surprise, and she said, "Leave Amelia alone… This is your only chance."

"W-what?" he asked dumbly.

"I said," she gritted. "Leave her _alone_."

"But why?" he questioned, getting a really bad feeling at the bottom of his gut.

The woman walked closer and closer, each step making her even more menacing. Kaneki took several steps back until he was cornered against the wall.

"I'm giving you a warning since Amelia seems to find interest in you. Never see, talk, or even _look_ at Amelia ever again. Or else," she stated – commanded.

Kaneki gulped, remembering all the moments he and Amelia bonded, and responded, "But I really like her…"

The woman clicked her tongue and clenched her teeth. "I warned you…"

In a flash, the woman had four strange tentacles out; her Kagune, he realized. Each looked slimy and red, and Kaneki found himself feeling complete utter fear. The woman's eyes turned black and the pupils became blood red.

"People like you…" she shouted angrily, stabbing at him with her Kagune as he tried to dodge. "You don't deserve to stand next to Amelia! You'd only hurt her!"

One of the tentacles grazed his leg, but it still felt unbelievably painful.

"Are you a part of the CCG? Is that why you're after her?" the woman shouted. "If so, leave. Even if she isn't like _your kind_, she isn't a ghoul either!"

_Huh?_ He thought, _what the hell is she talking about…_

The split second of lenience cost him much when one of the tentacles grabbed him by the leg and slammed him into the wall with enough force to shatter the concrete.

As his head reeled from the impact, he vaguely heard someone shout, "Stop it, Rize! You'll kill him!"

The grip on his leg tightened, and when he could finally see clearly again the woman – Rize – was giving him a harsh glare.

"But… Amelia, he was trying to-"

"_Trying _my ass! Let go of him this instant."

Standing a few feet behind Rize was Amelia who, looking fatigued, had her arm around a mysterious man's shoulders to keep herself upright. She looked paler than usual, even under the moonlight, and out of breath.

He heard Rize growl, "Neah…"

The grip on his leg tightened even more, and Kaneki cried out in pain. It felt as if his leg had snapped in half. It probably did with all the force being applied to it.

The man begged, "Please, let the boy go."

"I can't, and you know why. He deserves to die!" Rize roared.

Pulling him back with her Kagune, Kaneki flew into the air. As he fell back down, Rize stabbed him clean through the abdomen and slammed him onto the ground again. It was so painful, but the blood loss and fatigue had him speechless.

"Kaneki!" Amelia cried out, her hands covering her mouth as her eyes widened in shock.

Everything from there on was an extreme haze. All he remembered was an argument breaking out and then large metal pillars falling on top of one of the three.

The last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was Amelia's tear-stricken face as she kneeled next to a bloody, crushed body, and the pained expression the man had as he forced himself to look.

* * *

|KANEKI KEN|

The scent of blood permeated the air like a thick blanket. A hand gripped onto his, gently but firmly holding on him like a lifeline. The sound of sobbing and crying hit his ears like a train.

_I'm not the protagonist of a novel or anything…_

"Kaneki, hold on!"

_I'm a college student who likes to read, like you could find anywhere…_

"Please! Neah he's dying of blood loss!"

_But…_

"Amelia… It's over… let's get out of here before-"

_If, for argument's sake, you were to write a story with me in the lead role…_

"No! Kaneki! Kaneki! Can you hear me?"

_It would certainly be…_

"Neah, get Rize out of here! I'll…I'll deal with Kaneki. Hurry!"

_A tragedy._

And then there was silence.


End file.
